Ondo State Government said that more than 30, 000 pregnant women would be delivered safely of their babies with the replication of its safe motherhood (Abiye) programme in all the local government councils in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, who stated this in an interview with journalists, explained that the extension of the programme will cost the state, about N2bn.
He explained that the pilot scheme of the programme was inaugurated on October 2009 at the Ifedore local government area and its successful implementation encouraged Governor Olusegun Mimiko, last week, to approve its extension to the remaining 18 council areas.
Adeyanju explained that the Abiye project was designed basically to address the high maternal mortality and under five mortality, which is one of the basic measurements of health indices.
He expressed happiness that the pilot scheme had been able to reduce infant and maternal death tremendously since its introduction.
He said, “We are expecting that the scale up of Abiye plus will cost government almost N2bn, that is its extension to the totality of the rest 17 local government areas.
“We expected that in the whole state, in every year, we will have minimum of 30, 000 deliveries” He added.
He said that the objective of the scheme was to bring qualitative and accessible healthcare to women and children with a view to reducing maternal and infant mortality and increasing the utilization of healthcare facilities in the State.
He noted that 31,000 patients have received treatment, including 11,879 deliveries and 1,400 caesarean sections at no cost under the Abiye programme in two years.
He said government put in place 10 functional basic health centres in all the wards in Ifedore for the pilot scheme apart from the four comprehensive health centres and one general hospital.
He, however said that the numbers of the health facilities will be reduced due to the personnel challenges being faced by the programme.
He said, “The midwives that we have on ground are not enough to go round. We have now mapped out the facilities to ensure equity in their distribution.
“We now have to scale down to four basic health centres and two comprehensive health centres, which is where surgical operation can take place and each of these will be in one ward.
“We will then compliment the remaining four wards with tricycle ambulances, which will move them from the hinterland to the basic health centre or the comprehensive health centers.
“The comprehensive health centre can also send its four wheel ambulance to move them from their homes to address the delay in seeking or reaching health care and in receiving healthcare and in referral.” Adeyanju added.
He said the semi urban wards will have the comprehensive health centre, while the rural communities will have the basic health centre and the tricycle ambulance to navigate and move the pregnant women.
He said, “There is no ward that will not have instant access. The tricycle ambulance that we have in mother and child has taken well over 10 deliveries, we have used the tricycle ambulance to take more than 10 deliveries, we have tested it.” He added.
He said all the facilities, equipment and funding needed for the prgramme had been put in place and that the issue of shortage of manpower was being addressed.
He said, “the council of midwifery has approved that we retain all our products from our school of midwifery for them to partake in the Abiye programme, we had 32 last year and this year again we are going to add another 32.
“With that we will not have shortage of manpower. We have navigated rural areas, we will post and repost the midwives and the rangers and also make sure the rangers are in regular contact with their patients” He stated.
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